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Latest whisky tastings
a running "latest additions" is maintained here, so regular visitors can see at a glance what we've been tasting.
 scrapes in  decent  good  excellent  sublime
Highland Park, Ambassador Cask 3 (Scotland) 
Having received a very positive reaction to its previous ‘Ambassador’s Cask’ bottlings, the Orkney distillery of Highland Park has recently issued a third such expression, again chosen by Global Brand Ambassador Gerry Tosh.
Tosh selected cask number 9035, filled in 1974, and bottled at 33 years of age. “The success of the first two Ambassador’s Casks is testament to the present demand for limited bottlings,” he declares. “By releasing the third edition in a 35cl bottle more people will have the opportunity to try this fantastic 33-year-old whisky. Cask 9035 was one of five under consideration and it will not disappoint, with a lingering aftertaste of dried fruits, setting it apart from the first two limited edition casks.”
The nose offers almonds, figs, chocolate, sweet malt, heather and developing floral notes. A whiff of peat smoke kicks in late. Characteristic Highland Park confidence and balance on the palate, elegant and poised, yet full-bodied, rich and creamy, with tangerines, nut fudge, and finally peat. The finish is filled with milk chocolate orange creams and sweet peat smoke, countered by an attractive, dry note of oak. Yet again, Highland Park offers a masterpiece, even if it is only a half bottle! Everything a great whisky should be.
44.8% ABV, 35cl, £95.00, distillery visitor centre, distillery website.  |  |
Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd, Isle of Skye 50-Yr-Old (Scotland)
This blend was launched in 2008, along with a 21-year-old variant. Marketing director Iain Weir notes that “The 21 and 50 Year Old are a response to demand for more premium luxury products across the world, particularly from Russia and Asia.”
It is a blend that contains a high proportion of malt, principally Speysiders and islanders, and it seems fair to assume at least a splash of the peppery, Skye malt Talisker is in the mix, as well as Islays to accentuate that smoky, peaty note.
However, 50 years ago, ‘mainstream’ Speysides would also have been smokier than their modern counterparts due to the use of distillery floor maltings, and Iain Weir declares that “The consistent single malt within the 50-year-old Isle of Skye blend bottlings is Glen Grant.”
The nose of this veteran blend is rich, mature and complex, with pepper, figs and a hint of liquorice. Smokier with exposure to air. Medium-bodied, initially quite dry and ashy on the palate, with ginger, peat smoke and citrus fruit. The finish embraces fruity notes of fig and mashed banana, against a gently smoked and spicy black pepper and oak backdrop. A huge indulgence, but a magnificent one!
41.6% ABV, 70cl, £899.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Old Pulteney, 30-year-old (Scotland)
The oldest official bottling of single malt from Scotland’s northernmost mainland distillery of Old Pulteney has just hit the shelves. The 30-year-old expression has been matured in American White Oak, and senior brand manager Iain Baxter says “This whisky has been looked after at the distillery for 30 years and the age contributes a huge amount of complexity. I’d say that for a malt whisky with so much age and depth, it’s still incredibly approachable.”
The nose is sweet and malty, with delicate vanilla, tropical fruits and ripe peaches. Very fruity when diluted. The palate is big and initially soft, with more fruit, honey and a hint of oak. The finish is long, with spicy oak.
44.0% ABV, 70cl, £250.00, specialist whisky merchants.  |  |
Isle of Arran, Pomerol Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish (Scotland)
The latest release in Arran’s expansive cask finish programme has been matured for eight years in conventional ex-Bourbon barrels before spending six months in 20 casks previously used to mature wine from the Château La Conseillante in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux.
According to distillery managing director Euan Mitchell, “We thought the Merlot-based Pomerol clarets would make an interesting fit with our whisky, but we had to be very careful that the oak did not overpower the whisky; we just wanted the French oak to give it a top-dressing of flavour.
“We gave it a fairly short finish, compared to our previous St Emilion finish, as the whisky took on the character of the Pomerol very quickly. We wanted sweet-sour notes, but not too much bitterness from over-oaking.”
The nose offers almonds and marzipan, with plums and spicy, red wine. Spicy on the palate, with raspberry, fudge and notes of pepper. Persistently spicy and gingery in the finish.
9,420 bottles.
50.0% ABV, 70cl, £39.99, specialist whisky merchants.  |  |
Jura, Mountain of Gold (Pinot Noir casks) (Scotland)
The nose is somewhat assertive, with grape skins and even a hint of cod liver oil, while the richly-textured palate offers black pepper and cinnamon, hazelnuts and wild berries. The finish is steadily drying and gently spiced.
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £100.00, The Whisky Exchange, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Jura, The Mountain of the Sound (Cabernet Sauvignon casks) (Scotland)
Initially quite shy on the nose, with developing pepper, nougat and pot still rum notes. The palate is expressive, with fruity, date and lemon oak notes, berries and vanilla toffee. The drying finish features cereal and nutmeg. 46.0% ABV, 70cl, £100.00, The Whisky Exchange, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Jura, The Sacred Mountain (Barolo casks) (Scotland)
46.0%ABV
Feminine and fragrant on the pretty nose, with roses in bloom and soft, red wine notes. A whiff of white pepper, ginger and over-ripe bananas. The palate is lively and spicy, with apples, caramel and fruit & nut milk chocolate. Fig rolls and cream in the finish. 46.0% ABV, 70cl, £100.00, The Whisky Exchange, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Kilkerran, ‘Work in Progress’ Five-year-old (Scotland)
This is the first global release of spirit from Springbank owner J&A Mitchell & Co’s ‘other’ Campbeltown distillery, Glengyle, and it will be followed by annual limited releases of 12,000 bottles each successive year until the whisky reaches the age of 12.
At five years of age it offers a delicate, slightly smoky and nutty, spiced malt nose, quite full-bodied and peppery, with developing fruitiness, which is emphasised by the addition of water. Lingering spice and walnuts in the finish, with vanilla and a slight tang of peat. Extremely promising. It should be fascinating to keep tabs on future ‘work in progress’ releases.
46.0% ABV, 70cl, £30.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Springbank, 18-year-old (Scotland)
The latest ‘mainstream’ release from the Campbeltown distillery of Springbank is an eagerly-anticipated and virtually sold out 18-year-old, which has been matured in 80 per cent ex-Sherry casks, with the remainder being ex-Bourbon.
The nose is rich, with sweet Sherry, angelica and apricots, while the big, creamy palate is rounded and confident, offering fresh fruit, smoke, molasses and liquorice. The finish dries slowly and elegantly. Another lovely Springbank. 46.0% ABV, 70cl, £70.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
Springbank, Madeira Wood Expression 11-year-old (Scotland)
Springbank’s Wood Expression Programme usually involves maturing whisky for its entire life in a batch of non-ex-Bourbon/Sherry casks. The latest, launched in January, has spent 11 years in former Madeira casks, with production director Frank McHardy declaring that “We don’t finish, we mature. We do one Wood Expression each year, usually limited to about 1,600 cases. When it’s gone, it’s gone. The Madeira Wood Expression is a sweet, ‘pudding-like’ whisky – you could drink it with ice cream!”
Viscous on the nose, stewed apricots and peaches. Lively spice, white pepper, Demerara sugar. Very fruity on the palate, with dates and figs. Smoky and spicy. Drying quite astringently on the finish, with a final tang of brine.
55.1% ABV, 70cl, £38.00, specialist whisky merchants. |  |
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